SAN JOSE, Calif. (Feb. 18, 2026) – U.S. Soccer announced today that Bay FC forward Karlie Lema has been selected to join the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team for training and friendlies in Miami, Fla. from Feb. 27 to March 7. Lema will join the U.S. U-23’s for the first time in 2026 as it hosts Mexico’s U-23 WNT for a pair of friendly matches and is one of six Bay FC players set to join a national team program in the upcoming window.
The Bay Area native was selected to the U-23 roster twice in 2025, joining the squad for its October training camp in Philadelphia and trip to Europe in November and December. She appeared in both matches in the latter window, coming off the bench in her squad’s 1-0 defeat of Slovakia’s senior national team Nov. 29 and 4-2 defeat of England Dec. 2. Her October invite marked her first to a national team program since she joined the U.S. U-17 Women’s National Team in 2020.
Lema is one of six Bay FC players selected to join their respective national teams for the February/March international window. Forwards Onyeka Gamero and Alex Pfeiffer will each join the U.S. U-20 squad as it prepares for the 2026 U-20 World Cup. Midfielder Claire Hutton and defenders Sydney Collins and Brooklyn Courtnall will each compete at the 2026 SheBelieves Cup, with Hutton to join the U.S. senior squad and Collins and Courtnall set to represent Canada in the tournament’s eleventh edition.
Lema and the U-23 WNT will close its camp with two matches against Mexico’s U-23 Women’s National Team March 3 at 9am PT and March 6 at 11 a.m. PT, both at the FIU Soccer Stadium in Miami. The matches are open and free to the public.
Bay FC opens the 2026 season with the club’s Home Opener, presented by Sutter Health, March 14 against expansion side Denver Summit FC at PayPal Park. Single-match tickets for all 2026 Bay FC home matches are on sale now at BayFC.com/tickets, giving all fans the opportunity to lock in their spot at PayPal Park for the season’s most anticipated contests. Visa is Bay FC’s preferred way to pay for tickets.
U.S. U-23 WNT Roster by Position, Domestic Training Camp and Matches — Miami, Fla.
Goalkeepers (2): Liz Beardsley (Tampa Bay Sun FC; Lakeland, Fla.), Neeku Purcell (Seattle Reign FC; Seattle, Wash.)
Defenders (8): Macy Blackburn (Racing Louisville FC; Fort Worth, Texas), Carolyn Calzada (Portland Thorns FC; Sugar Hill, Ga.), Sydney Cheesman (Louisiana State; Lafayette, Colo.), Leah Klenke (Houston Dash; Houston, Texas), Ayo Oke (Denver Summit FC; Lawrenceville, Ga.), Jayden Perry (Portland Thorns FC; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.), Evelyn Shores (Angel City FC; Atlanta, Ga.), Sierra Sythe (Wake Forest; Long Beach, Calif.)
Midfielders (7): Sofia Cook (Gotham FC; Huntington Beach, Calif.), Shae Harvey (Portland Thorns FC; Hermosa Beach, Calif.), Ally Lemos (Orlando Pride; Glendora, Calif.), Yuna McCormack (Denver Summit FC; Mill Valley, Calif.), Lexi Missimo (Dallas Trinity FC; Southlake, Texas), Sarah Schupansky (Gotham FC; Pittsburgh, Pa.), Taylor Suarez (Angel City FC; Charlote, N.C.)
Forwards (7): Jasmine Aikey (Denver Summit FC; Palo Alto, Calif.), Andrea Kitahata (Gotham FC; Hillsborough, Calif.), Karlie Lema (Bay FC; Morgan Hill, Calif.), Hope Leyba (Colorado; Phoenix, Ariz.), Kat Rader (Houston Dash; Stuart, Fla.), Pietra Tordin (Portland Thorns FC; Miami, Fla.), Sarah Weber (Racing Louisville FC; Gretna, Neb.)
